The podcast where missionaries share their lives and work.

Join me as I talk with Travis Snode, Missionary to Northern Ireland. Travis and his wife have been in Northern Ireland for 5 years as church planting missionaries. Like many missionaries, he is pastoring two churches; one he started and another one started by a fellow missionary. He shares with us the need for men to pastor one of the many churches in the United Kingdom that are without any kind of shepherd.

Bro. Snode also talked about how he was called to missions as a young boy. Outside of building a good personal relationship with God and His word, he said that he was encouraged by his parents and an older man in church to continue to pursue the ministry that God had called him to. Travis is a good example of what God can do with a child or teen that you may know who is called to be a missionary if you will just take a few minutes to encourage them to follow God’s leading.

Hey David,
I have been listening to your podcast for a couple of months. I appreciate hearing what missionaries are doing all over the world. This particular post made me sad. I am glad Travis is serving the Lord in Northern Ireland, but shouldn’t they be rethinking their strategy? Instead of bringing in Pastors from the US, shouldn’t missionaries be using something more simple and reproducable? It seems a house churches with elders might be a better fit. With that type of model it would be faster to plant and let God direct the church instead bringing a foreigner. This type of church planting is working very well in many closed countries. Why don’t people try it in post Christian countries? What do you think?

I think house churches can be very effective in many places and it may work well in Northern Ireland. The thing about Northern Ireland and other post-Christian countries is that they have church buildings already built and ready for use. They even have congregations (albeit small) that are just needing a leader. Whether those leaders come from the US, Africa or Northern Ireland, I think it would be wonderful to see a pastor walk in and bring a congregation back to life.

There are many valid points on both sides of the national pastor -V- foreign missionary argument. I am just excited to see people serve the Lord however they are called.

One of the problems with American missionaries is that, as well as the ‘Gospel’, they also bring along many american ways, culture and viewpoints. Many of us believe that this becomes a hindrance to evangelism.